


The First Date

by MercurialStarChild



Category: The Ascendance Trilogy - Jennifer A. Nielsen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Darius being a sweet sweet boye, First Dates, Fluff, Jaron is a gremlin baby, M/M, Mathis is an awkward mess who can't handle his feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:44:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19047115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialStarChild/pseuds/MercurialStarChild
Summary: Mathis and Darius are young and in love, and have finally gotten the opportunity to go on a date.





	The First Date

It was close to sunset when Mathis arrived at Darius’s home. He was nervous, more so than he'd been in a long time. Though he'd known Darius for a while now, and had been casually flirting with him for the last several weeks, nothing had him as terrified as when he proposed that the two go on a date. Darius had happily accepted, which was a relief, but now Mathis faced another challenge. He wanted to make this first date worthy of Darius’s participation.

His hands shook as he knocked on the man’s door. Hopefully it was loud enough for his date to hear… After a few long moments had passed by with no response, Mathis lifted his hand to knock once more, but the door unlocked and opened before his hand made it. He paused and met a pair of lovely brown eyes that made his heart beat a little bit faster.

“Mathis,” Darius greeted, his pleasure at seeing his date evident in his voice. “I've been looking forward to this. Do I look okay?” The outfit he had one was probably the most casual outfit Darius had ever worn, being such a well-dressed and proper kind of guy. He wore a yellow and white unbuttoned flannel over a white t shirt which was tucked into his light jeans, and on his right wrist was an expensive watch and a simple bracelet with a single sun-shaped charm. Mathis thought that was fitting. He always associated Darius with the sun-- bright and warm, seeming to bring life to anywhere he was.

Realizing that he'd been quiet a moment to long, Mathis nodded quickly and said, “You look… Wonderful.” In his simple brown jacket and old t-shirt, Mathis felt a bit underdressed. “Er-- Come on. Let's get out of here. I think you'll like the place I picked out.”

Mathis offered his hand, and Darius happily took a hold of it. His skin was soft and it made Mathis happy. He was lucky to get even a chance with someone like Darius.

When the two were situated in the car, Mathis drove off into town.

“So, where are we going?” Darius asked, watching all of the buildings and restaurants pass by from the car window.

“You'll see.”

Soon, the two were driving out of the other side of town, where the landscape turned from houses and buildings to rolling hills littered with trees. Off in the distance was the lake, which glittered in the light of the early evening sun. Darius and Mathis were chatting the whole drive there, and it was easy to tell by his expression that Darius wasn't expecting to come all the way out here.

Finally, Mathis parked and got out of the car. As he got a basket and blanket from the trunk, he said, “Follow me, Sunshine.”

He happily led the way to a grassy area that overlooked the lake and faced the direction of the setting sun. Darius paused to look at the beautiful view while Mathis laid out the blanket. He sat down and pat the spot beside him. “Have a seat, won't you, Darry?”

Darius looked down at him and laughed a soft and friendly laugh that made Mathis’s heart flutter. His date sat and leaned on Mathis's shoulder as he was pulling food from the picnic basket.

Mathis swallowed hard. Being this close to him now, he inhaled the subtle, honey-like scent that Darius wore. It was intoxicating. They sat quietly with each other for a little while, watching the start to disappear behind the distant hills and the sky begin to darken. When his date spoke, his voice was gentle and close enough to Mathis’s ear to send shivers down his spine.

“This is... beautiful. It's so much more than what I was expecting… Thank you.” Darius out his hand on Mathis's lightly, and the simple touch sent waves of adoration through Mathis. He turned his head to gaze at Darius. His freckled face looked exceptionally handsome in the light of the sunset.

“Of course, Darry. Anything for you.” Was that the appropriate way to respond? Or was it too sappy, too romantic for a first date? Saints, somehow Mathis's entire wild and confident demeanor collapsed when he was around Darius. How could he do that so well? Was he even aware of the feelings he gave Mathis?

“You're too kind to me. I don't know how I ended up lucky enough to go on a date with you.”  
Mathis was pulled back into reality as Darius spoke again. He blinked at him and squeezed his hand gently.

“Me? What are you talking about?” Mathis shook his head. Before he could stop himself, he was spewing all the feelings he had inside. “I don't deserve to even know you! You're… Saints, you're so perfect. You know exactly what you want with your life. How did I ever get so blessed by the saints to have you as my best friend?”

Darius stared at Mathis for a long moment and blinked. He hadn't expected that deep confession. And, really, neither had Mathis.

He cursed under his breath and turned his face away from Darius, awkward embarrassment hanging over him.

...Until a gentle hand cupped his cheek and prompted him to look at his date once more.  
“Mathis.” His name, spoken so delicately on Darius's lips, had a profound effect on Mathis’s emotions and caused him to shudder. “I didn't know you felt that way. I… I always thought you were fine with being who you are and being able to just go with the flow. I-I could never… Never be capable of letting go as well as you do.” As he spoke, his thumb delicately traced over Mathis's cheekbone, and he held his gaze calmly.

Mathis chuckled and ran a hand through his own hair. “Shit… You make me sound like I'm so much better than I really am. But I guess we could both learn from each other, huh?”

Darius smiled sweetly and nodded. “Yes, I think we could.”

With that, Mathis's shoulders relaxed and he leaned into his date's hand. He felt so much better having gotten that off of his chest. After a moment, he glanced up at the sky with a smile.

“The stars are out,” he observed in the softest tone.

Darius lowered his hand from the other man’s face as he looked up at the sky. “They're beautiful.” Then he pointed. “And look, I think that one’s a planet."

The two spent the rest of the evening stargazing, snacking, and having quiet conversations until it was late into the night and Darius received a text. He looked at it and sighed. “Father wants me home,” he said defeatedly.

Although he wished he could convince Darius to stay longer, he knew he was a punctual man, and honored his parents’ wishes. So Mathis sat up and started to clean up their food scraps. “Well, I guess that's our cue to get outta here, hm?”

He watched as Darius reluctantly stood and began to help pack up. He nudged him with his elbow and said with a smile, “This was fun.”

Darius looked over at him and nodded. “It was. We should… Do it again sometime.”

Mathis grinned. That was the one result that he wanted most from this night.

Mathis drove Darius home and parked in the driveway. “This is your stop, Sunshine.”

Darius smiled sweetly at Mathis and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks again for tonight. I'll never forget it.”

Mathis was overwhelmed with feelings, and his cheeks turned red. One hand rested over the cheek that Darius kissed. After a moment, he quickly said, “Wait-- Let me accompany you to the door.”

Darius just giggled cutely and paused as Mathis fumbled out of the beaten up car and stood by Darius, hooking their arms together as he walked him to the door.

When they arrived there, Darius paused and turned to Mathis one more time. He rested a hand on his date's muscular arm and gazed at him.

“Mathis…” He began, but it seemed that he couldn't find the words he wanted to say. So he found another way to say it. He leaned in to capture Mathis's lips in a kiss, which caught the other off guard for a moment. But, of course, Mathis easily melted into the kiss, hands resting on Darius's hips to keep him close. The blond man wrapped his arms around Mathis's neck. The feeling of Darius's lips moving against his own sparked a feeling like no other inside of Mathis.

His heart beat fast and he could bring himself to let Darius go until what seemed like eternities later when two parted from the kiss, foreheads and noses pressed together as they gazed into each others eyes. Darius was so beautiful. He could pass for a saint in Mathis's eyes. But a saint would never mingle with the likes of himself.

They were both drawn out of the dreamy moment by a muffled exclamation. Mathis lifted his head and looked over to see Jaron, Darius's little brother, with his face pressed to the window. He was watching the two with an almost devious grin.  
Darius scoffed and shook his head. “Mathis--I’m sorry. I should go.”

Mathis laughed. “No, no, don't apologize. Go ahead.” He pressed his lips to his date's hair briefly. “I'll call you tomorrow, alright?”

“I'll be waiting.”


End file.
